Virginia politicians divided on American strike of Venezuela, capture of its president

Emma Rose Brown, The Virginian-Pilot on Jan 5, 2026

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On Saturday, Virginia elected officials responded to the Trump administration’s strikes on Venezuela and capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

“This is an illegal war,” Sen. Tim Kaine said. “There is no legal justification in the Constitution, in the history of the Constitution, or an American law that would authorize the president to wage war to depose President Maduro and seize its oil and run the country of Venezuela without coming to Congress.”

Kaine, who is fluent in Spanish and the lead Democrat on the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee, said, “multiple visits to the region have taught me the very painful history of U.S. attempts to dominate countries in the Americas.”

“I also have spoken to Virginians about the cost of forever wars on the Virginia families whose sons, daughters, spouses have deployed again and again since 2001 on wars around the world. I don’t believe the American public wants more forever wars.”

Kaine and Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., introduced a War Powers Resolution last month to prevent acts of war with Venezuela without congressional approval. Two previous attempts to pass similar resolutions failed.

Speaking with reporters on Saturday, President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine acknowledged that the large-scale effort involved “every component of our joint force with soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians working in unison with our intelligence agency partners and law enforcement teammates.”

Speculation about an imminent strike within Venezuela grew as the U.S. bolstered its military presence in the region over the second half of 2025. Several Norfolk-based ships and aircraft were a part of the build up and have been supporting U.S. military operations, including the attacks on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

In a statement Saturday, Sen. Mark Warner called Maduro a “corrupt authoritarian,” but said that Maduro’s crimes do not allow the president to ignore the Constitution.

“Our Constitution places the gravest decisions about the use of military force in the hands of Congress for a reason. Using military force to enact regime change demands the closest scrutiny, precisely because the consequences do not end with the initial strike,” Warner said.

Hampton Roads U.S. Rep Jen Kiggans, herself a former Navy pilot, praised the operation.

“For too long, Americans have suffered the consequences of poisonous drugs funneled into our country by this illegal regime, and this operation marks a concrete step toward putting an end to that threat. Every parent in Virginia and across the country should rejoice that narcoterrorism is being addressed to protect our children and their futures against the deadly flow of drugs into our communities,” Kiggans said in a statement.

The New York Times reported in October that the vast majority of cocaine and other illicit drugs are not produced or smuggled in Venezuela. Experts say Venezuela does not traffick fentanyl at all.

Trump confirmed his plan to keep U.S. troops on the ground to support oil companies’ efforts to restructure Venezuela’s industry and infrastructure.

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